Study in Canada as an International student
As an international student, you may wish to apply to study in Canada and then extend your study permit. You may also get information about work while you are studying or once you have graduated.
Canada is known to be the most popular destinations of the world. People visiting the country are offered a diverse variety of experiences as well as opportunities. Not only this, the country also attracts people towards its natural beauty and multicultural cities. The good news for international students is that the tuition fee, in general, is less expensive as compared to other major Anglophone destinations (the US, UK, and Australia), even though they are still quite high in comparison to other countries.
Student life in Canada
One always imagines Canada’s picture postcard beauty-wide open spaces, pristine forests, dramatic mountains, majestic lakes that all sums up to its natural beauty. But, the fact is that Canada has an open and tolerant multi-cultural society that is progressive and modern having French and English as its official languages.
Living in Canada is somewhat the same in terms of many aspects as living in other Western countries; however, it cannot be denied that some aspects of daily life are unique here in Canada. Students must know a few tips before their arrival in Canada so that they are comfortable when they arrive.
Why Study in Canada?
We cannot deny the fact that international students love to study in Canada and the main reason behind it is that they probably love to stay in Canada after graduation. Especially Atlantic Canada is known to have a retention program for foreign students. Students are even allowed to work on campus as well as off-campus while they are studying. Usually, students take up part-time jobs against which they get some extra money that helps them cope up with their living expenses.
Universities in Canada
Canada is known to be one of the leading study destinations in the world. International students find Ontario, British Columbia and Quebec to be the most famous provinces in Canada, which between them are home to many of the top universities in the country.
Students wishing to study in an elite university can find this option of studying in Canada attractive, especially if they want to study in one of the most developed nation in the world. There are 26 Canadian universities comes in the QS World University Rankings 2019 also in world’s top 50, with 11 more making the world’s top 280 – a feat matched only by a handful of other nations.
University of Toronto located in Toronto and McGill University located in Montréal is considered to be the highest universities in Canada. Both of these universities are located in the largest cities of the country. McMaster University, University of Waterloo, and University of Alberta are the universities ranked within the global ranked universities.
University programs in Canada
Depending on the university you wish to get your undergraduate degree from, it can take either three or four years to get your education completed. Whereas it takes between one and three years to get your postgraduate degree completed, but this too depends on the type of the degree you opt for. There are different kinds of higher education institutes providing higher education in the country such as universities providing undergraduate and postgraduate degrees along with carrying out research work, community colleges and technical, applied arts or applied science schools granting diplomas, certificates, bachelor’s degree as well as associate’s degrees.
As provincial governments manage Canadian universities, one can see a slight differencein how the education is being carried out. In particular, Quebec differs to the rest of the country having a dissimilar study length and times of term. For example, secondary school students complete their education a year earlier, they have to take a pre-university General and Vocational College (CEGEP) course that is mandatory, that eliminates a year of freshman of the university. Students may check with the university they have chosen for further details.
Studying a master’s or PhD? To find out about studying in Canada at graduate level, you can get online copy of the QS Top Grad School Guide in free.
Tuition fees in Canadian Universities
International students must expect the average tuition fee to start from US$10,000 CA$15,000 per semester. It should also be noted that this depends upon both, the university as well as the program that the students have opted for and are interested in. In Canada, tuition fees for arts and humanities students tend to be at the lower end of the scale, whereas for subjects like engineering and medicine tend to be more expensive and it does not make any difference if one is applying for undergraduate or postgraduate program.
Work during study in Canada
International students can work while they study and at the same time help their spouse get a work permit. They can temporarily work or else permanently stay in Canada once they have graduated.
It is one of the major benefits of working while studying in Canada if one chose the country to be his/her study destination. But, of course a few things should be kept in mind before starting to earn.
Nearly all international students are allowed to work for up to 20 hours per week and full-time during their scheduled breaks, without having a work permit. This would help students support themselves and at the same time built contacts and experience that could help them stand out in their job hunt in future.
Post study work permit temporary resident Visa (TRV)
International students who wish to stay back in Canada and are no longer continuing their studies have an option to apply for a work permit once they are done with their studies.
A work permit is needed to work in Canada after completing education for which international students had applied for a student visa. Work experience that these international students gain while they are on job may help them to a great extent to qualify for permanent residence.
Permanent residence visa (PRV)
International students who have completed their studies in Canada and have also gained work experience while working in the country wishing to stay here in Canada permanently can apply for permanent resident (PR) visa.
Student visa requirement for Canada
All international students applying for a student visa to study in Canada should make sure that the requirements of the visa are based on the country they are located in like Canadian Embassy located in their own home country. A student visa is also called a study permit that allows international students to study in Canada, before leaving for Canada; one should make sure that he/she is carrying the correct study permit.
Your Career Host Consultants are there to help you carry out the requirements while applying to study in Canada. Our team of experts will surely help you out with all the documentation that needs to be translated and couriered so that there is less paperwork for you as an applicant to track.
With the right support and director, arranging for study visa and permits will no longer feel daunting.
With your student permit/visa you are allowed to enter Canada as a full time student in any of the educational institute in the country. The eligibility criteria are such that the student applying for the student visa must get himself/herself enrolled in a program of study that culminates in a degree, diploma or certificate in Canada.
VFS office provides information on procedures applicable to those applying for a visa to travel to Canada. There is an option for students to lodge their Canada visa application through the online link available at IRCC website.